Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame Selection Committee to Meet
The Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, now entering its 30th year, announced earlier this year that it would resume inducting new members. After putting out a call to the community for nominations it now has a slate of possible inductees. A selection committee, comprised of Individuals inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, was scheduled to meet in March, but that meeting was canceled due to restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The selection committee will now review the slate of candidates and select the candidates in a virtual meeting on August 1.
Anyone inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame as an Individual is entitled to serve on the selection committee. Those interested in participating should send an e-mail to outreach@LGBTHallofFame.org by July 17, 2020. A virtual ceremony for inductees will be held in October 2020 in honor of LGBT History Month.
The Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame was founded in 1991 as the Chicago Gay & Lesbian Hall of Fame. Its purpose then, as now, is to honor people and entities, nominated by the community, who have made significant contributions to the quality of life or well-being of the LGBT community in Chicago. It is the first city-sponsored hall of fame dedicated to LGBT people, organizations, and community in the United States.
From its founding in 1991 until 2016 the Gay & Lesbian Hall of Fame relied on support from the City of Chicago. The city ceased funding the Gay & Lesbian Hall of Fame in 2016 as part of then mayor Rahm Emmanuel’s cost-cutting programs. At that time, it was rechristened the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame and has since been supported and maintained by the Friends of the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, a 501c3 not-for-profit organization, with approval from the City of Chicago.
The Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame inducted new members, from a slate submitted by Chicago’s LGBT community, in 2016 and 2017. At that point, the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame decided to take time to restructure, selecting new board members and bringing on new volunteers, as well as re-establishing itself as a 501c3 not-for-profit organization.
The first Chicago Gay & Lesbian Hall of Fame ceremony took place during Pride Week and was held at Chicago City Hall. Mayor Richard M. Daley hosted the ceremony and afterwards, photos of the inductees were displayed in City Hall. The Hall of Fame has no physical facility but maintains a website, which allows anyone to visit the Hall of Fame at any time. Traditionally, the City of Chicago has displayed the Hall of Fame materials during induction periods.
For more information, visit the organization’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/56108152083/ or on Twitter @LGBTHallofFame.